CVE-2025-20104
📋 TL;DR
A race condition vulnerability in Intel Network Adapter Administrative Tools allows authenticated local users to potentially escalate privileges. This affects systems running vulnerable versions of Intel network adapter software. Attackers could gain elevated system access through timing-based exploitation.
💻 Affected Systems
- Intel(R) Network Adapters Administrative Tools
⚠️ Manual Verification Required
This CVE does not have specific version information in our database, so automatic vulnerability detection cannot determine if your system is affected.
Why? The CVE database entry doesn't specify which versions are vulnerable (no version ranges provided by the vendor/NVD).
🔒 Custom verification scripts are available for registered users. Sign up free to download automated test scripts.
- Review the CVE details at NVD
- Check vendor security advisories for your specific version
- Test if the vulnerability is exploitable in your environment
- Consider updating to the latest version as a precaution
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Local authenticated attacker gains SYSTEM/root privileges, enabling complete system compromise, data theft, persistence installation, and lateral movement.
Likely Case
Privileged user or malware with local access escalates to administrative rights, potentially bypassing security controls and accessing sensitive data.
If Mitigated
With proper access controls and monitoring, impact limited to isolated systems with minimal data exposure.
🎯 Exploit Status
Race condition exploitation requires precise timing and local authenticated access. No public exploits known at this time.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: Version 29.4 or later
Vendor Advisory: https://intel.com/content/www/us/en/security-center/advisory/intel-sa-01293.html
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Download Intel Network Adapters Administrative Tools version 29.4 or later from Intel website. 2. Uninstall previous version. 3. Install updated version. 4. Restart system.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Remove vulnerable software
windowsUninstall Intel Network Adapter Administrative Tools if not required
Control Panel > Programs > Uninstall a program > Select Intel Network Adapter Administrative Tools > Uninstall
Restrict access to administrative tools
allLimit user permissions to prevent unauthorized access to vulnerable components
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Implement strict access controls to limit which users can run administrative tools
- Monitor for unusual privilege escalation attempts and suspicious process creation
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check installed version of Intel Network Adapter Administrative Tools via Control Panel (Windows) or package manager (Linux).Check Version:
Windows: Check Programs and Features. Linux: rpm -qa | grep -i intel-network or dpkg -l | grep -i intel-networkVerify Fix Applied:
Confirm version is 29.4 or later after update installation.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Unusual process creation by Intel network tools
- Multiple rapid execution attempts of administrative tools
- Privilege escalation events
Network Indicators:
- Local system activity only - no network indicators
SIEM Query:
Process creation where parent process contains 'intel' AND (process_name contains 'admin' OR process_name contains 'tool') AND user != SYSTEM